STUDY ON BIOCHMICAL RESPONSE`OF RESIDENT FISH FROM AN OIL SPILL SITE, TAEAN, KOREA: BIOMARKER APPROCH

Abstract

Hebei Spirit spilled more than 12,000 kilo liters of three kinds of crude oils into the West coast of Korea where various aquaculture and fisheries activities have been done. Hanging culture of oysters and in-land fish aquaculture facilities were directly affected by fresh crude oil. In addition, there was growing concern of wild fish whether they were contaminated and affected by spilled oil. Thus, both chemical analysis of fish bile and measurement of biochemical response in wild fish caught around spillage site have been done. We focused on the biological effects in two marine resident fish from oil spilled site. Biomarkers were selected in order to evaluate toxic affection on hepatic detoxification system exposed to PAHs. Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) and cytochrome P-450 1A (CYP1A) expression were measured 5 days, 22 days, 35 days and 53 days after oil spill in Eohang-Ri, Taean. Fish from oil spilled site at Eohang-Ri had higher indices of CYP1A1 induction (CYP1A mRNA, and ethoxyresorufin O-de-ethylase [EROD] activity) than those from a reference site. We investigated the uptake of PAHs in fish bile metabolites by synchronous fluorescence spectrometry and compared enzymatic biomarker change and level of 1-OH-py in two resident marine species in Taean. Fish showed highly increased the 1-OH-py. after four days. Differences from two fish species were showed in sensitivity and metabolic process. Hence, risk assessment of the actual impact of oil to marine biota should consider these essential biological and ecological factors.